This week our Top 10 Tuesday prompt is animals from books. I had a post like that back in November. Could I come up with another? Yes! I love when authors include animals. Some of these books I have read; others are in my TBR pile.
Do you have a favorite book that features an animal?
Decades after her parents’ murders, Penelope McGregor’s grateful the killer’s finally been identified—until he comes after her. Now Detective Tyler Walker and his K-9 partner, Dusty, must protect Penelope and catch the culprit…while making sure his little girl stays out of the crosshairs. But can the single father outplay a killer whose endgame will leave no one safe?
Dana Mentink is a two time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award and a Holt Medallion winner. She is a national bestselling author of over forty titles in the suspense and lighthearted romance genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Poisoned Pen Press, and Harvest House. Besides writing, she busies herself puttering around her Northern California backyard. Mostly, she loves to be home with Papa Bear, teen bear cubs affectionately nicknamed Yogi and Boo Boo, Junie, the nutty terrier, and a chubby box turtle. You can connect with Dana via her website at danamentink.com, on Facebook, YouTube (Author Dana Mentink) and Instagram (dana_mentink.)
More from Dana
I love book covers with adorable children on them, don’t you? There’s something so angelic about those wee folks on the covers. I have two bear cubs myself, young adults now, and I love them devotedly. Tell you what though. Sometimes, just occasionally mind you, they were a wee bit naughty. Don’t tell anyone, but one reason I enjoyed writing Cold Case Pursuit so much is that hero Tyler is the single dad of a little girl named Rain who is….er…a handful. Sure, she’s adorable, but she’s prone to disobedience and the occasional tendency to flush things down the toilet. So in addition to the edge of your seat pursuit of a murderous clown killer, there are the shenanigans of a precocious preschooler, a highly trained yet distractible police K-9, and a romance that doesn’t exactly run smoothly. Fun to write? You betcha! I hope you enjoy coming along with me on this True Blue adventure!
My Impressions:
Cold Case Pursuit by Dana Mentink is the 7th book in the multi-author True Blue K9 Unit: Brooklyn series. I didn’t know that when I chose this book to read. Did it make a difference in my enjoyment of the book? Not at all. Mentink does a great job of creating a book that can stand alone. Of course after being introduced to great characters and their doggie companions, I have to go back and read the rest of the books. Cold Case Pursuit features Penny McGregor and Tyler Walker. Penny was a witness to her parents brutal murders 20 years before. The killer is back and now targeting Penny. Her job with the K9 unit doesn’t deter the killer in the least, but it does allow her to have a lot of personal protection. Tyler is one of those who takes on her case. The two have lots of baggage to say the least, but sparks fly between the two that are hard to put aside. Their romance is rocky and the danger continues to ramp up. For fast-paced suspense fans, Cold Case Pursuit is a good choice. The action never bogs down. The characters, especially the 4-legged ones, are endearing. If you are a dog lover, this one is for you too. The details of the K9 unit are fascinating as the officers work with their partners in a variety of ways, each with specific skills and purpose. There is a strong faith message that runs throughout, but I never felt like it was preachy. Just ordinary people depending on a big God to protect, provide, and guide.
If you are looking for a quick weekend read, then Cold Case Pursuit is a good choice. Even if your plans involve staying right at home, this book will sweep you away. And if you finish quickly, you know there are a lot more books in the series to read. 😉
Recommended.
Audience: adults
(Thanks to Celebrate Lit for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Baby, it’s cold outside! At least for middle Georgia, that is. I know many of you have already had snow and really, really cold temperatures, but in the sunny South it is officially winter when we have to put on a coat. 😉 All that to say — welcome Winter and the Winter TBR! This week I am featuring books that I want to get read in the next few months. Some are book club selections, others are awaiting reviews, and some are just because. There are a variety of genres too — historical, suspense, Regency, romance — something for everyone. I hope you find one from my list that you will love too.
Standing between Stephanie and her dream is one hundred pounds of lovable trouble.
It should have been so simple for Stephanie Pink: Meet up with Agnes Wharton in a small town in California, retrieve the reclusive author’s valuable new manuscript, and be promoted to a full-fledged literary agent.
But Agnes’s canine companion, Sweetness, decides to make a break for it before Stephanie can claim her prize. Until Agnes has Sweetness safely back at home in Eagle Cliff, Washington, Stephanie will never set eyes on the manuscript she needs to make her dreams come true.
When Stephanie tracks the runaway mutt to a campground, she meets Rhett Hastings—a man also on the run from a different life and a costly mistake. Rhett agrees to help Stephanie search for the missing dog…thus launching a surprising string of adventures and misadventures.
Once Sweetness gets added to the mix, it’s a recipe for love and loss, merriment and mayhem, fun and faith in the backwoods of the Pacific Northwest.
Dana Mentink lives in California, where the weather is golden and the cheese is divine. Dana is an American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year finalist for romantic suspense and an award winner in the Pacific Northwest Writers Literary Contest. Her suspense novel, Betrayal in the Badlands, earned a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award. Besides writing, she busies herself teaching third and fourth grade. Mostly, she loves to be home with her husband, two daughters, a dog with social anxiety problems, a chubby box turtle, and a feisty parakeet.
She’s a bookaholic, he’s into movies. Both of them are trying to bring to life other’s dreams. But is that what God really wants for theme? Along the way they acquire a few critters that show them the way to go. That, in a nutshell, is Dana Mentink’s latest slightly quirky, thoroughly sweet romance, Fetching Sweetness. Oh, there is more to the story, but you’ll just have to dive in to find out what scrapes and adventures Stephanie Pink, super associate literary agent and bad boy movie theater mogul Rhett Hastings encounter.
Fetching Sweetness is full of big personalities from two-legged characters Stephanie and Rhett to the four-footed, furry characters of Sweetness and Panny. This contemporary romance takes place on the road in a rusting and leaking aged travel trailer. As Stephanie and Rhett travel up the coast of the Pacific Northwest, they learn a lot about each other and themselves. Namely, that man often plans and plans, but it’s God’s path that counts. Both characters have been on the outs with God. Rhett is trying to hear God’s voice, but Stephanie doesn’t want anything do with what God wants. Stephanie believes . . . her plan was better. Unless it wasn’t. (p. 192) Wow, that sounds so familiar to me. The theme of God’s plans vs man’s plans runs throughout the novel. Here are a couple of my favorite quotes:
God loved bad men too, sinners one and all. That was comforting. But He worked things out in unexpected ways, and that was not. (p.60)
. . . just because things don’t go according to plan, that doesn’t mean they’re turning out wrong. (p. 160)
I admit that this book started out a bit slow for me, but it really didn’t take long to be captured by the fun and funny, real and relatable characters and of course the cute dogs! Spiritual truths tended to hit me on the head, making me stop and think a bit before continuing.
Fetching Sweetness is a good weekend kind of book — when you have some time to relax and spend a few hours reading. How about taking it along on your next road trip!
(Thanks to LitFuse and Harvest House for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Giveaway!
Celebrate the release of Fetching Sweetness with Dana by entering to win the Sweetness Unleashed Prize Pack!
One grand prize winner will receive:
A copy of Fetching Sweetness
A $75 Visa cash card
A library book necklace
A dog-inspired insulated shopping tote
Enter today by clicking HERE, but hurry! The giveaway ends on August 24. The winner will be announced August 25 on Dana’s blog.
Take one abrasive professional athlete, a quirky out-of-work schoolteacher, and an overweight geriatric dog, and you’re ready for a lesson in love . . . Tippy style.
Pro baseball pitcher Cal Crawford is not a dog guy. When he inherits his deceased mother’s elderly dog, Tippy, he’s quick to call on a pet-sitting service.
Gina isn’t thrilled to be a dog sitter when her aspirations lie in the classroom. Furthermore, she can’t abide the unfriendly Cal, a man with all the charm of a wet towel. But with no other prospects and a deep love for all things canine, she takes the job caring for Tippy.
As Gina travels through Cal’s world with Tippy in tow, she begins to see Cal in a different light. Gina longs to show Cal the God-given blessings in his life that have nothing to do with baseball or fame. When her longing blooms into attraction, Gina does her best to suppress it. But Cal is falling in love with her too . . . .
Discover the charming story of Tippy, the dog who brought a family together.
Dana Mentink lives in California, where the weather is golden and the cheese is divine. Dana is an American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year finalist for romantic suspense and an award winner in the Pacific Northwest Writers Literary Contest. Her suspense novel, Betrayal in the Badlands, earned a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award. Besides writing, she busies herself teaching third and fourth grade. Mostly, she loves to be home with her husband, two daughters, a dog with social anxiety problems, a chubby box turtle, and a feisty parakeet.
Find out more about Dana athttp://www.danamentink.com.
My Impressions:
What can be better than a story that features a dog? A love story that features an adorable dog! Sit, Stay, Love is a contemporary romance with plenty of sparks and a dog that always steals the show. Gina, the pet-sitter, and Cal, the pro baseball player, don’t hit it off at first. But Tippy, an overweight, geriatric Dachshund knows how to shake things up, even with a man who is grieving and a woman who thinks she’ll never really measure up. A quick and humor-filled read, Sit, Stay, Love is a sure winner.
There is a lot to love about this novel. The characters are genuine and relatable with real life emotions, doubts, hurts and fears. The plot is inventive and keeps the pages turning. The faith message is woven seamlessly throughout. And of course their is Tippy. Tippy is clueless, lovable and slightly mischievous and wins the hearts of whoever she encounters, including this reader. The best thing about this book? A portion of the sales will go to Muttville Senior Dog Rescue!
Perfect for those who love a light romance or for your favorite dog lover, Sit, Stay, Love is a recommended read!
(Thanks to Harvest House Publishers for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Giveaway!
One grand prize winner will receive:
A copy of Sit, Stay, Love A $75 Visa cash card A basket filled with Tippy-themed goodies Travel-themed decorator box Reading dog statue Dog journal Poems for Dog Lovers Snuggle Paws fleece blanket from Animal Rescue Site Pawprint scarf Doxie desk pen Pupmobile auto magnet
Enter today by clicking HERE. But hurry! The giveaway ends on April 25th. The winner will be announced April 26th on Dana’s blog.
Many of the books I review are provided to me free of charge from publishers, authors, or other groups in return for a review. The opinions expressed in the reviews are mine and mine alone. No monetary consideration is given. This disclaimer is in accordance with FTC rules.
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A cold case solved by the K-9 unit…
Dana Mentink is a two time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award and a Holt Medallion winner. She is a national bestselling author of over forty titles in the suspense and lighthearted romance genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Poisoned Pen Press, and Harvest House. Besides writing, she busies herself puttering around her Northern California backyard. Mostly, she loves to be home with Papa Bear, teen bear cubs affectionately nicknamed Yogi and Boo Boo, Junie, the nutty terrier, and a chubby box turtle. You can connect with Dana via her website at 
Standing between Stephanie and her dream is one hundred pounds of lovable trouble.
Dana Mentink lives in California, where the weather is golden and the cheese is divine. Dana is an American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year finalist for romantic suspense and an award winner in the Pacific Northwest Writers Literary Contest. Her suspense novel, Betrayal in the Badlands, earned a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award. Besides writing, she busies herself teaching third and fourth grade. Mostly, she loves to be home with her husband, two daughters, a dog with social anxiety problems, a chubby box turtle, and a feisty parakeet.
Take one abrasive professional athlete, a quirky out-of-work schoolteacher, and an overweight geriatric dog, and you’re ready for a lesson in love . . . Tippy style.
Dana Mentink lives in California, where the weather is golden and the cheese is divine. Dana is an American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year finalist for romantic suspense and an award winner in the Pacific Northwest Writers Literary Contest. Her suspense novel, Betrayal in the Badlands, earned a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award. Besides writing, she busies herself teaching third and fourth grade. Mostly, she loves to be home with her husband, two daughters, a dog with social anxiety problems, a chubby box turtle, and a feisty parakeet.
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